Thanks to Eznf98, Xertib, hellothere209 and OechsnerC for the feedback!
Eznf98: Based on my research, it likely happened in the very beginning of the Empire. I had originally thought that The Night of a Thousand Tears was concurrent with the Galactic Civil War and the Great Purge, but further research (as well as the ever helpful comments) tells me it was likely the next step after Clone Order 66.
Xertib: You like my darker timeline? Then you'll love this one. As for Thrawn, I did kinda forget about him, didn't I? We'll see where he pops up next.
Hellothere209: Keep in mind that this sort of thing has happened before. Sabine's 'death' Ezra's nightmare. I try not to kill kids. Doesn't look good.
So, I made a bunch of new code names in the previous chapter, and never explained who they were. So, here you go:
Phoenix Seven: Captain Rex
Rebound One: Cal Kestis
Rebound Two: Cere
Rebound Three: Greez
Rebound Four: Merrin
Fulcrum: Ahsoka (But we all knew that, right?)
I don't really have one yet for Anakin. Suggestions?
Enjoy!
. . . . . . . . . .
"Commander!" Rex shot a stormtrooper and fixed Ezra with a glare. "You need to keep your mind in the here and now." He fired again, and Ezra watched as another trooper fell. "I know you want to be with Sabine, but this takes priority."
A brush of Kanan entered his mind. Ezra, focus. There's more at stake here than you know.
Ezra nodded and activated his lightsaber. "Where's Rebound One?"
Rex ducked behind the wreckage of a fallen LAAT/le gunship as blaster bolts surged around them. "We got separated!" He activated his comm. "Phoenix Seven to Fulcrum! Is Rebound One with you?"
"I have him. He's injured."
Rex nodded. "Copy that! Spectre Six and I are pinned down on one of the bridges headed into the palace! We could use support!" He turned his comm off and began firing at the stormtroopers. "Ezra! We have to push towards the palace!"
Ezra grunted as he leapt out of cover, covering Rex with his lightsaber. "Any word on Anakin?"
Rex shook his head. "General Skywalker was supposed to protect the barracks, but he arrived too late." He lifted his comm. "Fulcrum, there may be a friendly headed to your position." He paused. "It's Anakin."
Only static responded.
Rex looked up at Ezra. "Try to raise Merrin."
Ezra nodded. "Spectre Six to Rebound Four, do you read me?" He glanced at Rex as static sounded. "Comms are jammed."
Rex nodded and fired at the incoming stormtroopers. "That means we're on our own."
Ezra took up defensive position behind Rex, blocking incoming fire from the stormtroopers coming the other way. "Hopefully Anakin is able to come help us at some point!"
. . . . . . . . . .
Sabine fought to keep the anger under control as she stared at the Imperial Compound on Krownest. It hadn't been there the last time she was on the planet; which meant that the Empire had been preparing for this day for, at the most, five years. "Who's giving the orders?"
Her years at the Mandalore Academy taught her that commanding officers, at least most of them, were never on sight during a siege or battle, instead preferring to lead from a safe distance. Nothing like the Jedi of old, who would lead from the front-lines.
And, as far as Sabine had been able to piece together in the few days she had been here, that commanding officer was here, on Krownest. It was why the Wren Stronghold, along with everyone in it, had been destroyed.
Stuffing the pain of losing Cale in its cage, Sabine raised her rangefinder and activated her jetpack. Time to get payback.
. . . . . . . . . .
Ahsoka regarded the Nightsister as she put Cal in a trance. "And you're sure he'll be okay?"
Merrin nodded. "This is an unfortunate routine. Cal pushes himself too far trying to defend us, and we meet here." Moving away from the Jedi, Merrin looked at the explosions happening across the horizon. "Captain Rex's report said he and Ezra were pinned down on one of the bridges. Bridger's Life Force is on the main bridge into Sundari."
"Then we'll have to move quick if we're to save him."
Eyes wide in horror, Ahsoka spun to face the man she'd never thought she'd see again, igniting her lightsabers. "What Sith Trick is this?"
Anakin took a step forward. "It's no trick, Ahsoka. It's me."
Ahsoka raised her lightsabers. "You're dead." She narrowed her eyes. "I felt you die."
"You felt Vader die." Anakin looked down. "I'm not him any longer."
He has long been groomed for his role as my Master's new apprentice.
Ahsoka took a step back. "I can't take that chance."
She charged Anakin, swiping with her lightsabers, but he dodged. "I'm not going to fight you, Ahsoka!"
Ahsoka kept trying to hit him, until Anakin used the Force to grab her lightsabers. "It's me, Snips!"
"He's telling the truth." Cere rushed up, blaster pistol in hand. "He's on our side."
I won't leave you! Not this time.
Then you will die.
Ahsoka grabbed her lightsabers using the Force and returned them to her belt. "Maul was convinced you'd become Sidious's apprentice. He orchestrated the Siege of Mandalore to lure you and Obi-Wan there in order to kill you."
Anakin sighed. "He was right." He looked down at the ground. "I would have saved the Galaxy so much trouble if I had gone with you."
"General, come in!"
Anakin looked at his comm. "Rex?"
"Finally." The clone sounded relieved. "Comm's were jammed, but Chopper broke through. Spectre Six and I are heading towards the palace, but we're pinned down. We could use assistance!"
Anakin nodded and glanced at Ahsoka. "Fulcrum and I will head towards you."
. . . . . . . . . .
Sabine slowly advanced into the Compound, blasters ready. Yet, strangely, the entire base was empty. Not a single stormtrooper anywhere.
Making her way into the Command Centre, Sabine froze as she spied a figure in the shadows of the edges. "Who are you?"
"I was hoping for Bridger." A lone Imperial Officer, an ISB Agent by the looks of it, stepped out of the shadows, a sneer written on his face. "Why are you here?"
Sabine raised her pistols. "He had a more important engagement."
The Agent chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure. If you are here, then that means Bridger is currently on Mandalore's surface, trying to rescue the people." He smiled. "I'm afraid you are too late."
Sabine scoffed. "You might be surprised at what we can accomplish."
The Agent nodded. "Indeed. The liberation of an entire planet is not something that happens all too often, and I must admit it is most impressive." He narrowed his eyes. "You're not Bridger, that means you are the Mandalorian who defected from her proper place so long ago."
Sabine laughed bitterly. "You saying it was my proper place doesn't mean it ever was. My place is with my family."
"Family is an important concept to Mandalorians." The man agreed, making Sabine's blood boil. "Sabine…Wren, is it? I must admit I'm not as familiar with you as I am Bridger."
"Why do you want Ezra?"
The Agent smiled. "The Emperor has come to view him as a threat. After losing Vader, he wants a new apprentice."
Sabine's hand tightened on her pistols. "Ezra would never join the Dark Side."
"Hasn't he?" Almost conversationally, the ISB Agent placed his blaster rifle on one of the nearby tables, and folded his hands behind his back, seemingly enjoying this. "Ezra Bridger nearly lost himself to the Dark when he thought you had been killed. Did he not go on a killing spree, justifying it with your death?" He chuckled. "And here you are, following his footsteps because you believe your son to be among those perished?"
Sabine's hand was trembling in anger. "Don't talk about Cale!"
"The Empire isn't as heartless as you may believe, Miss Wren. Killing children is beneath us."
Sabine lowered her pistol minutely. "You're saying my son is alive?"
The ISB Agent turned to look out one of the viewports. "The son of one of the most powerful Jedi's alive." He tilted his head to regard her. "Wouldn't you agree that he would make a most powerful apprentice to Lord Sidious?"
Breathing fury, Sabine fired, watching in horror as the bolt was deflected by a lightsaber that was all too familiar. "No…"
The ISB Agent stood facing her, the darksaber in his hand. "And here I thought we were having a civil conversation."
Sabine stepped backwards. "You…killed Bo-Katan…"
The man shrugged. "She was the leader of the Resistance. Although, the remainder of Mandalore will soon join her in death."
Sabine used her grappling line to grab the Agent's blaster. "Then I will avenge her death."
. . . . . . . . . .
"Rex! Behind you!"
Rex spun, aiming at the two stormtroopers behind him and fired, watching as they fell. Then he returned to beside Ezra. "We're not going to last long out here."
Ezra grunted, alternating between deflecting shots, and firing with both his blaster pistol and lightsaber. More and more, however, he found himself being forced to keep his hybrid in blade mode. "Hopefully Anakin and Ahsoka get here soon."
An explosion sent one of the LAAT/le's to the ground, and Ezra grinned. "It's Sabine!"
Rex turned and watched the Mandalorian fly to the remaining Troop Transports and slash it with a blade. "And she has the darksaber!"
Moments later, Sabine dropped down into cover next to Ezra. "I'm sorry I left."
Ezra smiled at her. "You're here now." He deflected an incoming shot. "We have to get to the palace!"
. . . . . . . . . .
What do you want with Anakin Skywalker?
He is the key to everything.
To bring balance to the Force?
To destroy.
Ahsoka regarded Anakin. "So, Maul was right about your destiny then. You did become Sidious's new apprentice."
Anakin nodded as he deflected incoming fire. "Things were happening too quickly for me to take a step back and think. I was acting solely on emotion." He sighed. "I was desperate to save Padmè, but I was also dealing with seeing you again. With being reminded of how I failed as a teacher."
"You didn't fail." Ahsoka used her lightsabers to cut down a charging riot trooper. "Just because the Council deemed you unworthy doesn't mean you failed."
Anakin stared at the looming palace. "Only falling means that." He glanced at his comm. "Skywalker to Spectre Six, we're at the palace."
"We're a few minutes out. But this all may be a trap anyway."
Anakin frowned. "Say again, Phoenix Seven?"
"Spectre Five came back with intel from an ISB Agent named Gideon. She claims this invasion of Mandalore was set up to draw the remaining Jedi out of hiding."
Anakin blanched and looked at Ahsoka. "Everyone, fall back! Now!"
"General?"
Anakin began sprinting back to Point Dawn and grouped everyone's frequency into one call. "Everyone prepare to leave, now! This was a trap set up by the Empire!"
"What do you mean?" Hera sounded concerned, at least.
Anakin began running harder. "The Second Death Star was just finished a few months ago! If the Empire wanted to get all the Jedi here, then Mandalore is going to be the first target!"
"Can't we stop it?"
Anakin used the Force to throw all the nearby stormtroopers back. "I'm sorry, Spectre Five. I know what this means to you, but we don't have the resources. Our fleet comprises of a few ARC-170's, a V-19, the Ghost, and the Mantis. None of them capable to destroy a space station." He ran aboard the Ghost and waved to the other members as they hurried. "There's nothing we can do."
He watched as Ezra and Sabine boarded the Mantis with Merrin, and nodded to Rex as the Captain sat down next to him. "Hera, that's everyone!"
As the ships took off, Anakin slipped into the Force, and found that Sabine was a wave of anger. Sighing, he stood and made his way to the cockpit, sitting down in the co-pilots seat as they cleared the atmosphere.
"I have a massive energy reading." Hera gestured to the scope. "It's emerging from hyperspace."
Anakin didn't need the Force to feel the Dark Side from the station. "It's him." He grabbed his comm. "Fulcrum, Sidious is on that station." He sighed. "If you wanted to ask about me or Maul, now is a good time."
"I think I'll pass, Master."
Anakin nodded and looked at Hera. "We should go. Before Sabine witnesses something she'll never forget."
His comm beeped. "Spectre Six to Skywalker, where are we headed?"
Anakin glanced at Hera. "Dantooine. There was once an enclave of Jedi there."
As Hera nodded, the Death Star fired, and all Anakin could hear was screaming.
. . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Notes!
I). LAAT/le gunships are those TIE/Republic Gunship hybrids we see in Rebels and the last few episodes of the Clone Wars. Remember Kanan's death? The ship Sabine was piloting was an LAAT/le.
II). I couldn't kill Cale and Jacen! Partially because last time I hinted at it, I almost got crucified in the comments. (Use your anger. It gives your reviews focus). However, Caleb's not out of hot water yet, because Sidious is looking to replace Anakin. And The Emperor is a far more menacing villain than Kei Larson...
III). So, Mandalore. That may be a problem. For a different reason than you may think. Jedi who have a bond can share pain. Remember Ezra's reaction to Alderaan? Imagine that compounded because the other Jedi on your team are also dealing with the effects of such massive loss of life. Not to mention the extremely sad and angry Mandalorian with whom Ezra also shares a bond with. In other words, next chapter won't be so much fun for our Jedi...
Thanks for reading!
Judge